MONDAY FORTUNE COOKIE, 11/19/12

Adventure is worthwhile in itself.

SNARKY RESPONSE: But it's the hit to your bank account that'll make or break you. There's the gear, the airline tickets, the insurance. Hey! Nothing comes for free.

Adventure is worthwhile in itself.

As I sit here planning my exit strategy for NaNoWriMo, I found this fortune insightful.

AND THIS ADVENTURE TRULY IS FREE, AND FREEING!

50,000 words in 30 days! It's an impressive amount of production. Not impossible as is proven by thousands of NaNoWriMo winners every year, but hard enough as proven by the countless near misses.

1,667 words a day is a more manageable view, especially if you're doing the work of a professional writer and writing every day. I've managed to do that in a couple of 45 minute sprints, not bragging per se, but just to show I know what's possible.

But the part we should, and most do, appreciate most is the act itself. The adventure of setting your sights on a goal, making a public commitment to that goal, and then pursuing it with all you're worth.

There's nothing so exciting as seeing those words fly up onto the screen or flow out your pen onto the page. The translation of thoughts into concrete words is a feat in itself. Not everyone can do it. How many times have you heard "I've always wanted to write a book." and then nothing? Writing a story is hard. And to do this while giving yourself permission to produce what will be for most, a "shitty" first draft, can get your pulse racing, believe me. Let's face it--while we all strive to produce the best writing possible, NO ONE writes deathless prose on their first draft. Or at least, no one I know. And having that freedom to just get it down, warts and all, without judgement? (In fact, there is a strict rule NO EDITING ALLOWED) That realization can set you free!

So, as I sit here with my less than stellar 2012 performance (to date - see my progress bar beside this post), I'm still excited. The sense of adventure is still there even though I acknowledge reaching my goal is in serious question. Doesn't matter, I'm in it, to win it or go down swinging!

I've still got words to write, a story to tell, and a goal to reach for. That's a truly worthwhile adventure indeed!

MONDAY FORTUNE COOKIE, 11/12/12

Be an optimist. There does not seem too much use being anything else.

SNARKY RESPONSE: And you have a pretty good chance of ticking off a large portion of the population.

Be an optimist. There does not seem too much use in being anything else.

Optimism. A crucial part of being a writer. You have to believe in your ability to tell the story you envision and do the work, even with it gets rough.

Every writer encounters periods when their confidence in their writing  ebbs and flows like the tides. When the words come easy and the characters behave, you ride the crest with confidence. Take hold and hang ten all the way to the shore! Kowabunga!

When your story breaks apart like flotsam on the storm surge, even the most confident writer feels cast adrift. Best you can do is grab a piece of the plot and dog paddle for all you're worth until you can catch that next wave.

There are hundreds of great tips on how to bolster your writing when you're stymied. Some of my personal faves would be:

• Skip the troublesome scene/chapter and write something farther ahead. I'm a linear thinker so this one gives me a little trouble, but it works. In fact, some writers do all their writing that way, producing piecework prose that they rearrange and stitch together later.
• Set the troublesome piece aside temporarily and do background writing. Character sketches are great for luring your muse back to the task. As you explore your character and their world (outside the story) you  may find yourself able to approach that chasm from a different angle and voila, there's the bridge you needed.
• Change POV - switch from third person to first person or vice versa. Taking your narration to a different level might give you a new perspective that would break through. Going deeper or pulling back like a camera lens may reveal something you'd missed.
• Revisit where you've been so that you can recapture that sense of where you're going. Back tracking will provide opportunities to rediscover things you might have forgotten or at least refresh your memory.
• A recent discovery (for me) was the concept of writing backward. Kind of like skipping ahead, but this time you take a giant step. Again, this is against the grain for my a-b-c brain, but it makes sense. Knowing your ending, you can backtrack. To get result Z, characters would have to perform actions 3-2-1.

The point is - Don't Give Up! Trust yourself. Be Optimistic about your ability to do this thing that you love--tell a story.

What do you do to keep yourself moving ahead when you hit a road block?

MONDAY FORTUNE COOKIE, 11/5/12

Your smile makes everyone realize that the world is a lovely and beautiful place.

SNARKY RESPONSE: Or at the least, they'll all be wondering what you've been up to! Someone cue up the "The Candy Man" song while the Fortune Cookie Guru indulges in a bit of gratuitous flattery.

Your smile makes everyone realize that the world is a lovely and beautiful place.

So, after Googling the saccharine laced hit I linked above, I also found this CandyMan song I'd never seen before, but it takes a whole different turn on the term--Christina Aguilera's Candyman video. Talk about smiling! I have to admit I'm a sucker for the nostalgia vibe and the boogie-woogie close harmonies of the faux girl trio (Andrew Sisters-style), though Christina's lyrics and dance moves are very "modern."

Returning to the matter at hand, today is Day 5 of NaNoWriMo and all the good NaNo'ers are at or approaching 8,335 words. Sadly, I'm way off that mark, but I intend to try and bring myself up to snuff by some serious word-crunching over the next week.

NaNoWriMo is a wonderful way to get writers to put their money where their mouths are. Instead of just saying they're "going" to write a book, they Do It! 50,000 contiguous words take any opus from the realm of short story/vignette into the category of "book." And managing to do that feat in 30 days takes you from "all talk" to can "walk the walk!"

So, here's to the intrepid Writers of November - keep writing and smiling!

MONDAY FORTUNE COOKIE, 10/29/12

LET SOMEONE KNOW HOW SPECIAL THEY ARE TO YOU

SNARKY RESPONSE:  Awww, I didn't realize Hallmark owned stock in fortune cookie companies. You know, they've got a card for that!

Let someone know how special they are to you.

It's amazing how many people touch our lives and how those touches, no matter how small, contribute to our experience. Don't miss any opportunity to let folks know how much you appreciate them. It makes them feel good and it makes you feel good. Win/Win

So, here's my attempt to do just that - say a little "Thank You" to some of the folks who have helped my along my writing path!

JRW Contingent & Local NaNoWriMo Liaison

As an aspiring writer, I was fortunate to become involved in several wonderful groups which led to friendships that have become stronger with time.  As a member of the James River Writers, I've met (and continue to meet) such a wonderful diverse group. Some of them were at the NaNoWriMo Kick Off Party last night and posed for a little group shot.

My W3 Avatar

Virginia Romance Writers has brought me into contact with a great group of women. In fact, I've joined with seven of them to create a fun group blog entitled, Words, Women, Wisdom (W3 for short). You can visit us through the link. We're a diverse group of writers and I think we offer something for everyone. Please drop in and then come back to visit, often!

Most influential on my growth as a writer have been the two critique groups I was blessed to find and join - RichWriters and Writers Endeavor. These two groups have done more to help nurture my craft and my confidence in my writing than I can every repay. The members, ranging from aspiring to published, non-fiction to popular fiction, have given so freely of their time and thoughtful consideration and I never fail to thank my lucky stars for every one of them.

This is FAR from a complete list and I hope those I didn't include in this post will understand. It would take pages and pages, but these are the ones I felt driven to THANK today.

As John Donne said, no (wo)man is an island and for me, this is my opportunity to show exactly how true that has been for me.

Now I encourage you to take a moment to recognize and thank those who have helped you along your path. None of us can do this alone.

JRWC12 Tidbit #4 - Priceless Website Insights

Every author is told to develop their web presence as soon as possible. Join social media and set up a website. But if you're new to the whole shebang, what are the basics? How do you pull together the best web presence you can before you've even sold your first book/story?

JRW's session, Insight Into Your Site: Website 101,  offered attendees plenty of helpful points and information. The panel consisted of Erin Blakemore (author, The Heroine's Bookshelf), Colleen Lindsay (community manager, Penguin's BookCountry.com),  and Anna Sproul (agent, Ross Yoon Agency) and was moderated by JRW's Maya Payne Smart.

Suggestions, hints, and advice flew around the panel like bees around honey. Or perhaps it was my own desperation to absorb every possible tidbit that made it seem like this session was a motherload of good stuff.

The most valuable thing for me was a list of Basic Website components:

• Keep the design simple and clean. No music. No crazy dancing graphics. No "Enter Here" preliminary page.
• All content should be your best writing and carefully edited by yourself and at least one other pair of eyes
• The Home Page needs to be constantly updated/refreshed with new information - it was suggested (strongly) that your blog be the Home Page/blog frequency 1X per week minimum
• Contact Me tab/button/page should not be a form to be filled out by the visitor but contain a professional email address, your name, any current projects, and a professionally taken photo
• Social Media links should be prominent and link to an ACTIVE social media presence. If you don't use twitter, don't put it on the website (yet)
• If you're published, make sure you have a Call to Action on every page - Buy The Book - with links to your book

This led to some discussion about social media. Again, if you don't like facebook, don't link to it, don't promote it. Only link to those media platforms you intend to maintain properly.

Something I'd forgotten to do - Your Twitter Home Page should also be nicely worked up with a photo for your handle and appropriate personalization. No one likes or trusts the anonymous little eggheads. I came home and spent a little time personalizing my own Twitter Home Page. You Like? Well, it's a WIP.

Oh, and speaking of Twitter, be sure that you don't tweet "Buy my book! Buy my book!" but that you DO tweet good content. Links to articles you think would be interesting. Tweets by people you follow and respect. Tweets that you feel inform, entertain, and/or relate to your passion. And try to make sure you keep the character count low enough that it can be successfully RETWEETED.

Whew! See what I mean? Now, get crackin'!

JRWC12 Tidbit #3 - The Value of Critiques & Self-Editing

When looking back at my choices of what panels to attend at the 2012 James River Writers Conference, I began to see patterns and one of them was on editing/critique.

My first session selection - Don't Fight the Feedback: Making the Most of Critiques and Self-Editing - made that point clear. The panel consisted of Cherise Fisher (The Scribe's Window), Lana Krumwiede (author, Freakling), and J.M. Tyree (writer), and moderated by JRW's own Constance Costas.

Wield Thoughtfully The Powerful Red Pen

Critiques are like advice--easy to give, hard to accept. However, when you receive a honest, insightful, and constructive critique, it would be foolish to ignore. The trick to giving and receiving critiques is to remember to be CONSTRUCTIVE. These pages/words were labored over by the author and are as dear as a beloved child. Treat them and the writer with respect, giving them your best in both content and delivery.

The panel offered so much valuable advice that I'm certain to have missed many points, but these made it onto paper:

• Don't self-edit while composing that first draft. Pour it all out and then go back to edit
• Be a developmental editor - evaluating character, pacing, plot, and voice - not just grammar
• Don't skimp on the fact checking (was there really a full moon on January 6, 1995?) and don't rely strictly on the web (unvetted and notoriously unreliable). Librarians are priceless resources.
• When considering a professional editor, especially for those going the route of self-publishing, carefully vet your choice. Some resources suggested: The Editorial Freelancers Association and Professional Editors Network

Sadly, I had to leave before the session was finished (hosting duties), but I was very happy I sat in on this one for as long as I could. Those editor association links alone will be invaluable IMHO.

JRWC12 Tidbit #2 - That Crucial First Page

All writers are taught that the first page is crucial to hooking the agent, the editor, and the reader. Getting that opening scene right takes serious crafting.

It is a much loved and equally terrifying tradition at the James River Writers Writing Conferences to offer intrepid writers the opportunity to have their first page randomly selected, read aloud, and critiqued in a Plenary Session.

Preparing for First Pages

The 2012 First Pages session this year featured a panel of Liz Bicknell (editorial director, Candlewick Press), Ayesha Pande (Ayesha Pende Literary agency), and Alec Shane (agent, Writers House), moderated by JRW's own David L. Robbins. This year's first pages were gleaned from a wide range of genres - general fiction to YA and everything in between.

The JRW First Pages panels have been known to be instructive and sometimes, brutally honest, so submitting is not for the faint-hearted. Nothing less than the writer's absolute BEST EFFORT should be  offered. Anything less will be spotted right off the bat and the experience about as pleasant as being struck by that bat. However, the advice is given to help improve the work and not to "make friends," so be warned.

This year's panel was no less instructive than prior years and perhaps a little harsher than some, but far from the harshest to grace the stage.

Here are some of my notes in the hopes that you'll find some of them as insightful and helpful as I did:

• First page has to set place, person or plot - as many as possible if not all
• "Disputation is key"
• Grammatical errors are unacceptable - these pages are your key to the kingdom and lack of attention to detail here speak poorly of your skill
• Pacing should be immediately evident and appropriate to your genre
• The much lauded "hook" MUST be presented immediately or the agent/editor will become the one that got away
• Voice - give the agent/editor the full impact of your character's unique voice as well as your own
• Don't introduce too many characters in that first scene overwhelming the agent/editor/reader

While none of these points are news to a serious writer of any level, seeing them actively illustrated is priceless. Rules handed out in a vacuum are sometimes poorly implemented, however, being offered concrete examples never fails to nail them down.

This is the purpose of the First Pages session - to educate, to illustrate, and to assist. For the fortunate souls whose pages were read and critiqued, the lesson may not have been painless, but there's no way they could be discounted as anything less than golden.

My thanks to the panel who offered their best advice and comments.

My congratulations to the folks whose pages were read - go forth, revise, and conquer!